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At the [Extraordinary Travel Festival](www.extraordinarytravelfestival.com) in Bangkok, our Travel Tech Panel skipped the trend predictions and focused on what travelers can actually use. In the room were some of the most traveled people in the world, including many who have been to all 193 UN countries. So this wasn't your typical panel at a travel tech conference, but rather a conversation about what digital tools we're all using on our adventures around the planet.
The big themes: personal AI agents are now planning and booking real trips, flexibility is the best money-saver, local recommendations come from local platforms and communities, and in places like China you need the local app stack before you land.
Article image #s5zxo41i56m12qmubfbq
*Rachel Weiss of Lost Plate speaking about how AI is changing the way travelers discover tours.*
The panel was moderated by [Ian Cumming](www.travelmassive.com/@ian), founder of Travel Massive. He was joined by [Joel Oleson](www.linkedin.com/in/joeloleson/), an enterprise architect in big tech (Sony, previously Microsoft); [Keith Van](www.travelmassive.com/@keith-van), Head of Community & Partnerships at [seats.aero](seats.aero); [Matt Gray](www.travelmassive.com/@matt-gray), founder of [Pangea](www.thepangea.app), a social travel app that has acquired several travel apps over the last 18 months; and [Rachel Weiss](www.travelmassive.com/@rachel-weiss), Digital Marketing Manager at [Lost Plate](lostplate.com) food tours and creator of [Rachel Meets China](rachelmeetschina.com), who has lived in China for 11 years. Between them, they brought a wide mix of perspectives, from big tech and award travel to social apps, food tours and life in China.
On stage, we followed the journey of a trip in three stages, planning, booking and experiencing, with each panelist sharing the tools and tips they rely on at every step.
Key Takeaways
1. Personal agents are booking real trips. Joel had his agent research and book a balloon flight in Myanmar, filling in the forms in its own browser. Nearly everyone in the room uses AI to plan; far fewer use agents yet.
2. Always check what the AI books. Joel's agent booked a flight that left him stuck in Ottawa for two days with too much buffer. Review dates and connections before you approve.
3. Go local for local recommendations. In China, use RedNote (now with translation) and Dianping. Google and Tripadvisor results there can be years out of date.
4. Flexibility is the best money-saver. Search wide on Kayak, Google Flights, Kiwi or seats.aero, don't fix your airports or dates, and price the whole trip, not just the flight.
5. Set up the local stack before you land. Alipay with a foreign card, WeChat, Amap (now in English) and a VPN or eSIM in China; LINE in Thailand and Japan; Grab or Uber on arrival.
6. A global eSIM changes arrivals. Keith lands with data on a flat monthly plan that still receives SMS for two-factor codes from home banks.
7. Community still beats algorithms. For remote places and deeper experiences, the panel leans on fellow travelers, local fixers and trusted networks.
Plan: let AI agents do the legwork, then ask the locals
Article image #uyvu5dvll5wseeuzgafi
*The Travel Tech Panel on stage at the Extraordinary Travel Festival.*
Personal agents. Joel has used personal agents for about a year, starting with OpenClaw and now mostly Muse, Meta's agent available in the US, Canada and Japan, plus Grok. For this trip he gave his agent his constraints and let it find which balloon companies flew over Bagan on which days, then fill in the forms and book. He paired that with asking his travel community who had been to Mandalay. For a week in Pond Inlet in Canada's high Arctic, where hotels cost over US$500 a night, agents helped him dig through obscure blogs and forums to plan a camping trip, and he saw narwhals.
When it goes wrong. Using Gemini, Joel asked an agent to book the missing San Diego to Ottawa leg around his existing flights. It looked right, he booked it, then realized it left him two days in Ottawa. He had to change the flight manually.
AI is already changing discovery. Rachel said Lost Plate kept hearing "I used AI" when asking customers how they found them, so they added it to their post-booking survey. A show of hands confirmed it: almost everyone in the room uses AI to plan or book, fewer use agents, and a handful have tried Muse (which is currently only available in the US and Canada).
Trusted local recommendations. Matt, a self-described lazy planner, asks people who have been there, through Pangea, forums and Facebook groups, and uses AI to surface niche forums. Rachel's advice for China is to use the native platforms. RedNote now has translation and is the best place to search for local spots, and Dianping works like a local Tripadvisor. Google and Tripadvisor results in China are often stale, some still from 2019.
Book: search wide and stay flexible
Article image #qainqmeiho9ovgm0xc6p
*Keith Van of seats.aero speaking about finding premium seats with points.*
Search wide, then narrow. Keith said everyone travels differently, so the tech should fit your schedule, budget and flexibility. Frequent travelers often prioritize business class and lounge access for quality of life, which is the niche seats.aero serves by helping people find premium seats with points.
Tips for the best price. Cast your search broad on Kayak, Google Flights and Kiwi, and don't lock in one departure or arrival airport. Price the whole trip too: a cheap flight to Switzerland can be undone by one night in Geneva costing as much as the fare. Flexible search works for stays as well; an Airbnb search for "anywhere in southern Africa, any time, 16+ guests" turned up a Botswana safari lodge with Starlink Wi-Fi that now hosts group trips.
On loyalty, the panel was skeptical. One panelist called themselves "very anti-loyalty" unless a company pays for your flights, since paying more just for status rarely adds up. Joel suggested anchoring to the three big alliances, Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam, rather than one airline. All agreed it's worth collecting points, especially ones that don't expire.
Audience question: where do you find immersive local experiences? Matt pointed to Viator and GetYourGuide as starting points, but noted they skew touristy; for depth, the MTP and NomadMania communities keep directories of local fixers. Joel searches personal blogs. Keith noted these platforms take a significant commission from operators, so contacting operators directly can get a better rate. Matt expects peer-to-peer recommendation apps like Corner, Flaire and Beli to expand from restaurants into experiences.
Experience: go hyper-local and land connected
Article image #vtob3bkpf3u8osasxd9x
*Joel Oleson speaking about using AI glasses for translation.*
Hyper-local apps. Every region runs on its own apps. In Thailand and Japan, LINE is the main chat app, so local merchants often won't be on WhatsApp. Rachel's China essentials: Alipay linked to a foreign card (cash is barely used), WeChat for messaging, a VPN or eSIM to reach blocked apps like WhatsApp, and Amap for maps. Amap is now available in English and is far more accurate in China than Google Maps.
Staying connected. Keith uses Popcorn, a global eSIM plan (about US$59 a month for new subscribers), so he has data as soon as he lands and can head straight out and call an Uber or Grab. His must-have is a plan that still receives SMS, so two-factor codes from home banks get through. He called it revolutionary compared with hunting for Wi-Fi and local SIM cards ten years ago.
AI glasses for translation. Joel uses Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, which are handy at markets where vendors are shy of a phone camera. Live translation fell flat in the last generation because of background noise, but the latest update can focus on the person speaking to you. His verdict: not perfect yet, but close.
Article image #poeprnjavjl1p0aap0kk
*Matt Gray of Pangea on trusting travel communities for remote trips.*
Remote places run on community. Matt called himself old school: for the most obscure trips he leans on expert travelers in his network. Next year he's joining an MTP trip to Libya without reading the itinerary, trusting the community that planned it.
Travel Tech Toolkit: 80+ apps recommended by the world's most traveled people
Article image #jo9kqj81bmrj6kb2ikii
*A logo wall of over 80 travel apps crowdsourced by the ETF community.*
Before the session, we polled festival attendees and panelists for their top travel apps, and crowdsourced about 85 different apps and websites, which we published and made available as a [Travel Tech Toolkit](tmsv.co/etf_tt_panel_app_list).
Think of it as the collective home screen of some of the world's most traveled people. The toolkit brings every recommendation together on one page, each with its logo and a link, covering everything from AI trip planners and flight search to award travel, eSIMs, payments, local maps and community apps. It's free to browse and share, so bookmark it before your next trip.
Thanks to Joel, Keith, Matt and Rachel for sharing their tips, to everyone who answered our pre-panel app poll, and to Ric and the Extraordinary Travel Festival team for having us.
Thanks again to our panel and the whole ETF community for being a part of the conversation. It was a really fun conversation and I'm looking forward to doing it again. I hope you enjoy this recap and the travel tech toolkit we put together.
Hi Travel Massive! 👋
We’re part of the team behind this project at Arirang TV, Korea’s international broadcasting network.
The video above is the first episode of [K-FOOD: Gyeongbuk Edition], a travel content series exploring Gyeongsangbuk-do (Gyeongbuk) through its regional food and local experiences.🧳
EP.1 takes us to Mungyeong, a city in Gyeongbuk, the same province where Gyeongju is located. The episode introduces Mungyeong through its local scenery, cultural experiences, and regional food, offering a glimpse of Korea beyond the destinations international travelers may already be familiar with.
Through this series, we hope to explore how food and local storytelling can help introduce lesser-known regional destinations to international travelers.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes regional travel content engaging for a global audience.
Hi everyone, we’ve been working on travel alerts - notifications about things that can disrupt a trip, such as severe weather, airport closures, strikes, or health outbreaks. Each alert is tied to the specific destination it affects, so a traveller only hears about what matters for where they’re going.
We’ve started using this in our own trip planner Tripomatic. Along the way we’ve wondered whether it could also be useful to other travel businesses and apps. Would this be interesting for you? Would you use it? Any feedback is welcomed, even if negative.
hi, I'm interested to discuss this further :-) Will send you a connect
I’d want to see the source and when the alert was last updated before passing it on to a partner. Do you also let people know when a disruption has ended?
Thank you to everyone who joined our [Bangkok Travel Massive's ETF Opening Night](www.travelmassive.com/events/opening-night-in-bangkok-travel-massive-welcomes-etf-pangea-9761068741) as we welcomed the Extraordinary Travel Festival (ETF) to the city. More than 130 of the world's most travelled people came together on the rooftop of the [Paradox Bangkok Sukhumvit](www.paradoxhotels.com/bangkok/meetings-and-events/garden-terrace), connecting the ETF community with our local Bangkok Travel Massive members on the eve of the festival.
Now in its 3rd edition, the [Extraordinary Travel Festival](extraordinarytravelfest.com) brings together four days of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking focused on extraordinary travel and adventure, running 22–25 October 2026.
Guests included Beijing-based [Rachel Weiss](www.travelmassive.com/@rachel-weiss), Digital Marketing Manager at [Lost Plate Food Tours](lostplate.com) and creator of [Rachel Meets China](www.instagram.com/rachelmeetschina/). We also welcomed [Keith Van](www.travelmassive.com/@keith-van), Community Manager at seats.aero, from Vancouver, and YouTuber [Jason Rupp](www.travelmassive.com/@jason-rupp-9803034039) from Pattaya.
Also joining us was [Jaime Alemán](www.instagram.com/jaimealemanpma/), a Panamanian entrepreneur and diplomat, the first person in the world to visit all 193 countries, both Poles and space, and a keynote speaker at ETF. Jaime is now making a documentary film about his adventures.
We were also joined by Travel Massive chapter leaders [Casey Mead](www.travelmassive.com/@kckiwigirl) from Melbourne, [Tiago Relvao](www.travelmassive.com/@tiagorelvao) from Lisbon, along with [Anne Somanas](www.travelmassive.com/@anne-somanas) from Bangkok.
We finished the night with a lucky draw and gave away two [Hanoi Secret Coffee tours](atasteofhanoi.com/hanoi-tours/day-tours/hanoi-secret-coffee-tour/) from A Taste of Hanoi, a ticket to [NomadWeek Cape Town](nomadweek.co) thanks to Pangea, and a number of other prizes.
A big thank you to [Paradox Bangkok](www.paradoxhotels.com/bangkok) and to Daniel, Khwan, Jeab and their amazing team for hosting, and to Erika, Azia (ETF) and Faith and Caroline (Pangea) for all their help. Photos by [Peng](pengmemo.synology.me).
— See you next time in Bangkok!
#Thanks to Pangea for supporting
[Pangea](www.thepangea.app) is a social travel app that helps you see where and when your friends are travelling, coordinate plans, get recommendations and meet other travellers. It also runs [social group trips](www.pangeatrips.com) to off-the-beaten-path destinations. Connect with Pangea's founder [Matt Gray](www.travelmassive.com/@matt-gray) on Travel Massive.
*Based in Bangkok or passing through? Join [Bangkok Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/bangkok-travel-massive-309854891) to hear about our next event. Interested in sponsoring a future event? Get in touch with [Anne Somanas](www.travelmassive.com/@anne-somanas).*
What a great turnout to the event on Thursday! We were so lucky to have so many incredibly talented travelers from around the world join us from the Extraordinary Travel Festival. Thanks to Matt from Pangea and the ETF team for supporting the evening.
A highlight for me was meeting Jaime Alemán who has been to space. We connected over his stories about visiting Tasmania and the East Coast (where I live) which I discovered is one of his favourite places in the world!
An awesome night out with the EFT crew! Great to meet so many passionate fellow travellers! Hope to see you all again soon and thanks to our friend Ric for putting on an excellent conference.
Such a fun way to start ETF!! It was wonderful meeting so many travelers from around the world and connecting with the Bangkok Travel Massive community. Thanks again to Ian and the team for bringing everyone together, and for the lovely shoutout!
Great event and turn out!!!
I'm Mary, a heritage travel storyteller exploring the world one surprising backstory at a time. As a Filipino-American documentary travel filmmaker, I create cinematic stories about culture, identity and place on my YouTube channel "Mary-Goes-Round the World", always centered on the people who live there.
I visited Versailles expecting grandeur and royal history, but what surprised me most was how the palace was designed to project power at every turn. This vlog explores the details that stood out most during my visit and how they changed my understanding of the place.
Learn more about my travels at marygoesroundtheworld.com
Fellow heritage travel storyteller here! I love how you framed Versailles around how the palace was designed to project power — the "why" behind a place is always what stays with me too. Question from someone who writes for older travelers: how did you find the walking and stairs? Versailles is huge, and I'm always looking for tips on seeing it at a gentler pace.
Versailles is definitely huge but the stairs were minimal compared to the vastness of the property. The height of each step is nice and shallow so they weren't bad at all. They run something called the "little train" that can help traverse longer distances but we just like to walk around and enjoy the views. I would recommend getting an early time for the palace. The later you go, the more crowded and it was the standing around that got tiring, not the walking. There aren't a lot of places inside to sit and rest. Enjoy your visit! I love connecting with fellow history and culture travelers because the stories behind a place are what make travel meaningful. That's the angle I try to explore in my videos as well.
I visited Versialles years ago when I lived in Paris. Thanks for the Accessibilty tips. I enjoyed your storytelling. I have studied French Language and Litearture for a decade. I don't recall learning the history that you shared in your video. The stories behind the place are insightful and bring new meaning to travel.
Mary, your point about standing in crowds is useful. I share tour programmes with partners at Rosotravel, and it’s a good reminder to look at where people can pause, as well as how far they’ll walk.
Coming from a tour professional like yourself, your comment means a great deal. Thanks! I wish I could say one can bring a stool to sit on, but I'm not sure of the palace rules and if you're surrounded by wall to wall people, it might be hard to find a spot big enough to sit without being bumped around by people anyway. Newer museums are getting better about seating areas, but places as old as this palace, there's not much that can be done to retrofit for that.
Thanks to everyone who joined our [Travel Massive Singapore Industry Social](www.travelmassive.com/events/singapore-travel-massive-industry-social-2530425630) during ITB Asia at the iconic [Harry’s on the Marina Bay](www.instagram.com/harryssingapore/) waterfront. It was a relaxed evening of networking that brought together travel brands, creators and startups from across the industry for introductions and conversations.
The social event welcomed executives, tour operators, travel creators, and founders from Singaporean and international travel and technology companies including *Arawana Group, Destination Capacity, Furama Resort & Villas Danang, Gullies Tours, Headout, Ilex Luxury Travel, Indulge Me, Journey Stack, LeapAway, Lost Plate, MakeYourAsia, MM Communications, Nomae Golf, Pear Anderson, ATTA, Platform 195, Revinate, SABA Hospitality, Secret Experiences, Seek Sophie, Springtide Strategy, Stripe, TPConnects, Transio, Travel Token Marketplace, Ulavi*, and [many more](www.travelmassive.com/events/singapore-travel-massive-industry-social-2530425630).
A number of creators attending [TravMedia’s IMM Asia](travmedia.com/immasia/) conference also came along, including Beijing-based influencer [Shen Wei](www.travelmassive.com/@shenwei007), one of China’s top travel KOLs on Sina Weibo, who has visited more than 90 countries.
We were also joined by Travel Massive chapter leaders from Lisbon ([Tiago Relvao](www.travelmassive.com/@tiagorelvao)), Melbourne ([Casey Mead](www.travelmassive.com/@kckiwigirl)), and Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon ([Natalya Wissink](www.travelmassive.com/@natalya)). Also making an appearance was [Kei Shibata](www.travelmassive.com/@keishibata), a long-time supporter of Travel Massive and OG Tokyo chapter leader.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the evening, and to [Natalya Wissink](www.travelmassive.com/@natalya) for organizing the event.
— See you next time in Singapore!
#Supported by Travel Trends Podcast
Shout-out to Travel Trends Podcast for sponsoring welcome drinks for our early arrivals. Their free, virtual-first [Travel Trends Summit](www.traveltrendspodcast.com/travel-trends-summit-2026?utm_source=travelmassive&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=travelmassive) runs on 28–29 October, with more than 60 speakers from TourRadar, Fora, Brand USA, Amex GBT, Lonely Planet, and Travel Massive.
*Want to be part of events like this? Join the [Singapore Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/singapore-travel-massive-891019239) community to stay updated on upcoming events, and contact [Natalya Wissink](www.travelmassive.com/@natalya) if you’d like to sponsor an event.*
It was a great evening connecting with present and new members. After the event we headed to rooftop bar Level33 which has incredible views of MBS.. well worth the visit!
Thanks Natalya for organising and everyone who attended!
What a great night - awesome to see / meet everyone! Thanks for coming out.
Thanks, Travel Massive!
Such a nice evening, thank you for organising Natalya!
I'm Jozef, a European living in South America. On a three-person road trip to Bolivia, only two of us installed the expense app. We had to manage spending in Paraguayan guaraní, Bolivian bolivianos and US dollars.
On a later trip to Buenos Aires there were four of us, more currencies and again someone who didn't want to install an app. I sent the final balances through WhatsApp and Signal because everyone wanted to see the result.
Afterwards, friends also asked what the Bolivia trip had cost, how much a restaurant meal cost and which places were worth visiting.
That's why I built Trek: to keep track of the trip's costs, work out who owes whom and share a link that friends can open without installing the app.
What Trek does
• Log stops with photos, expenses and notes
• Multiple currencies with automatic exchange rates
• Works out who owes whom
• Friends can join by link, no account needed
• Share the whole trip as a read-only link
• Free for one trip, with more in Trek Plus
Try Trek at 1tnt.link/trek and let me know what you think. I'd love your feedback in the comments!
I’d find the costs alongside each stop useful when planning a similar trip, Jozef. Especially if I wanted to follow only part of the route rather than repeat the whole trip.
Thanks, Agnieszka! That’s exactly why Trek keeps expenses alongside individual stops - so someone planning a similar trip can look at the places they’re interested in, not just the total. It’s great to hear that this would be useful to you!
Hello everyone,
My name is Lewis. I love technology, and I’m usually building or tinkering with something when I notice a problem I cannot quite solve.
When my wife and I planned an Alaska cruise, we wanted our teenagers at home to be prepared for the “just in case.” We had an itinerary, hotel and cruise contacts, people to call, instructions for home, and directions to important documents, but nothing that put everything into a clear order for them.
So I built Vocevia, an installable travel handoff web app for the people staying home.
It organized where we expected to be, when we planned to check in, who they should call first, and what they should do if plans changed. It also let us leave calming voice instructions and keep the serious guidance we hoped they would never need behind separate access steps.
I chose the name Vocevia to express the idea that your voice shows the way. A familiar voice can make instructions feel more personal and reassuring than a document or checklist.
We used Vocevia during the trip. It gave our teenagers one place to look and gave us peace of mind that they knew what to do. That trip became the first real test of the app.
Friends, family, and other travel advisors have encouraged me to make it available more broadly, so here I am.
Vocevia is still in its pilot stage, and I know there is more to refine. I believe it could become a useful final step in the pre-departure process for travelers, travel advisors, and group organizers.
I would really value feedback from this community:
• Is the purpose immediately clear?
• Where would this fit naturally into the pre-departure process?
• What would you add, remove, or make easier?
You can explore the app and its sample guide at vocevia.com.
Hi Lewis,
Thanks for sharing Vocevia with the Travel Massive community.
My feedback is that it's a different USP to communicate. I haven't come across any products like this before, so that makes it harder to explain to people. The product name should ideally convey what it is, imo.
I guess you could call it a vault for emergency contacts and instructions. That's my simplest explanation so far!
I would also refine the website as it looks quite AI generated and seems to have quite a lot of messaging - see if you can narrow the scope a bit and give it more of a classic SaaS vibe so it's much easier to understand the features, pricing, and now to trial it or get started.
Hope this feedback is helpful!
The example with your teenagers made the purpose clear to me. I’d lead with that story when explaining Vocevia, especially the idea of hearing a familiar voice when you’re unsure what to do next.
Hey folks please upgrade your PHP versions as a new vulnerability called php2shell was published only hours ago that effects millions of blogs and websites.
If you run a travel website, WordPress, Drupal or Joomla blog... this means you. Check with your hosting provider and if you've self installed PHP ensure that you're upgraded.
Thanks to @nathan-james for sharing this news.
Updating PHP only helps if your hosting provider has installed the latest security patches. These have been available since 16:00 Amsterdam/Vienna time, and a good hosting provider should already have applied them.
Ask your host to confirm. If they have no idea what you’re talking about, find another hosting provider today.
A few articles in mainstream news since this happened:
PHP Armageddon: OpenAI, Google’s Wiz find ancient holes, panicking the internet
techcrunch.com/2026/10/21/php-armageddon-openai-googles-wiz-find-ancient-holes-panicking-the-internet/
The biggest-ever internet security threat has been known for 22 years. AI made it a crisis in 2 days
edition.cnn.com/2026/10/23/tech/ai-cybersecurity-php2shell-explained
AI just discovered a bug putting 70pc of world’s websites at risk
www.afr.com/world/north-america/websites-go-dark-as-ai-discovered-bug-sparks-global-security-scramble-20261022-p617nf
Remember to upgrade!
I built Localtime because I wanted a simple, no-frills site that keeps up with new restaurant openings in major cities and tells people what's new.
I've been experimenting with local recommendations for a long time. Localtime is a side project and an experiment in crawling local data (restaurants, events and other local happenings) and presenting it in a way that's useful to locals and tourists alike.
What it is
Localtime is a live calendar of new restaurants, cafés and bars worth leaving home for. Each city has its own feed with the newest openings at the top. Istanbul, Paris, Athens, London and Bangkok are live now, and Barcelona is coming next.
Human-eyed, AI-assisted
AI helps gather the data, but people check every place. Editors read local pages, kitchens' own channels and the first photos of each new place, then confirm it before it's listed. Photos come from those sources, are never AI-generated and are credited on the image. Each listing has a short note with a little-known fact about the chef, the building or the place, and a researched address that links to Google Maps.
Business model and what's next
The plan is to support Localtime with advertising in its magazine-style content. Next steps are launching Barcelona, adding new places continuously and updating every city daily at local midnight.
Try it out at localtime.ai and let me know your feedback in the comments, thanks!
Really love the concept and the 'zine style concept. Can see this being a source for folks as they travel around and hope you get to New York / LA / SF in the states! One quick feedback though, maybe find an AI skill to help with the writing a bit as some of the restaurant review descriptions don't make a ton of sense to the English reader. A short snippet from an Istanbul restaurant (btw—really not trying to knock on you as I got pretty excited wanting to plan a trip to Istanbul the moment I saw your page):
"Go for the Relish Burger. Bosna Bulvarı is why it feels like this side of the Bosphorus villages rather than a Kadıköy burger counter. The Edremit kitchen is the argument; the numbered door is why it is here."
I'd also recommend making the `save` CTA on the top right of the restaurant page more obvious and visible to the user. Just my 2 cents! Love what you're building
Thanks Daniel. I need to work on it.
The short notes about the chef or building give people a reason to choose a place beyond the menu. How do you decide which new openings to include?
I really like the idea. A few things I thought when using: 1) I would like to filter by certain types of restaurants (wine bars, for example) and 2) I wanted a map view of a city.
I love the concept of this Emrah, well done! I would love to see an interactive map if at all possible. I think that would be great especially if visiting a location you are not familiar with.
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Travel Trends Summit V3 is where the global travel industry comes to learn, connect, and prepare for what’s next.
In 2024, we launched the first AI Summit built exclusively for the travel industry.
In 2025, over 2,000 founders, executives, and innovators joined us to explore how AI is transforming travel.
In 2026, we’re evolving. Travel Trends Summit V3 will expand beyond AI to cover the full spectrum of what it takes to build, grow, and lead in the global travel industry today.
Across two days of keynotes, panels, demos, and candid conversations, you’ll hear from the people actually doing the work, not just talking about it.
Hear from 60+ speakers including: Travis Pittman (Founder & CEO, TourRadar), Frank Marini (CEO, Railbookers), Jake Peters (Co-Founder, Fora), Janette Roush (Chief AI Officer, Brand USA), Marilyn Markham (Amex GBT), Susan DeBottis (Lonely Planet), Sally Bunnell (Founder, NaviSavi), and leaders from Travel Massive including Matthew Gardiner (London Director) and Ian Cumming (Founder).
Learn more at www.traveltrendspodcast.com/travel-trends-summit-2026
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN AT V3
We’re bringing together leaders from across every sector of travel to deliver practical, real-world insights:
🤖 AI & Emerging Technology. What’s real, what’s working, and what’s next.
📢 Marketing & Customer Acquisition. How to reach and convert travelers.
🚀 Building & Scaling Travel Companies. Honest lessons from operators.
🌍 Distribution & Revenue Strategy. Smarter, more profitable routes to market.
🤝 Partnerships & Ecosystem Growth. The relationships that unlock scale.
Who is this event for? If you're a travel founder, executive, marketer, technologist or investor who wants to know what's next, this summit is for you.
Virtual-First. Built for a Global Industry.
We’re keeping our Summit V3 fully virtual so anyone, anywhere can join.
With attendees from 50+ countries and speakers across every major travel vertical, you’ll get a truly global perspective without leaving your desk (or couch).
REGISTER NOW FOR FREE
Thanks to our Sponsors and Partners, we're able to offer this global event free for everyone to register and attend, so we can maximize reach and benefit for our global audience.
A big thanks to the Travel Massive team for our ongoing collaboration. We love this community, and we can't wait to have Ian Cumming, founder of Travel Massive, as a speaker this year as we go Beyond AI. Please join us.
Secure Your Spot Today!
Link to event pageFutureTravel Summit is Europe's premier travel innovation event and brings together 500+ attendees and 20+ international speakers, featuring leading travel executives, innovators, startups and investors.
The agenda is built around the ideas and trends that are actually moving travel technology forward. Keynotes, fireside chats, and panels with founders, operators, and investors who are in the middle of building it, and not just talking about it.
Between sessions, there's time to connect. A networking lunch, breaks that don't feel rushed, and a crowd that makes the hallway conversations just as good as what's on stage 👀
Come be part of FutureTravel Summit in Barcelona this year!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wVNxTT9mWo
Pitch Competition
We're looking for 10 travel, tourism & hospitality startups to pitch on stage at the FutureTravel Summit in Barcelona, in front of 450 founders, investors, and travel tech leaders. Applications are open until July 20th. Details about the jury, and the prize package are coming soon. Apply to pitch at: tally.so/r/VLde6N
Call for Speakers
The FutureTravel Summit 2026 lineup is coming together. We are looking for speakers with real experience, honest insights, and a fresh take on what's shaping the future of travel. Apply to speak at: tally.so/r/jaENY1
Networking Opportunities
Aside from great networking opportunities with a dedicated networking app, you will gain valuable insights into the industry’s momentum, explore the latest innovations and trends, and celebrate the visionary people shaping the sector.
Get your tickets to FutureTravel today as this an event you don't want to miss!
See you at this year's FutureTravel Summit on October 29 at Fábrica Estrella Damm in beautiful Barcelona.
Interested in becoming an event sponsor? Send an email to ana@futuretravel.com
👉 Learn more at futuretravel.com/summit/
Link to event pageCelebrate FutureTravel Summit with Barcelona Travel Massive and YES-Trips.
Join us on Thursday, October 29th at Kafuné, 241 Calle de Lepant.
Together, with our partner YES-Trips, we’re inviting our community of travel professionals for an evening of drinks, fun networking opportunities and new connections following the day’s FutureTravel Summit.
Our party will wrap-up the conference and we’re excited to invite the wider Travel Massive community to join attendees. It’s an opportunity to continue conversations, connect with new people, and celebrate a successful summit in a relaxed setting.
🍷 Welcome drinks are on us thanks to YES-Trips, which is relaunching its brand over the course of the evening, and giving away a space on a fun new trip they are launching in Egypt in January, 2027.
Attendees from 50+ companies including: Airbnb, Allplane.tv, Altavella, Alyveestyle, Arival, byAir, Carmaline, CET Academic Programs, Controlá, Destination Capacity, DiverDoo, Doozi, Edge of the Leap, Tourwriter, EU Business School, FutureTravel, G Adventures, greenclicks, Grubtech, Happiness On The Way, Headout, Hoppswap, JayWay Travel, Laura No Esta, N.A.T.A - waltru, NaviSavi, Onix, Paximizer, Qynvo, Secret Experiences, SSirma, Stoke Travel, Takiri Travel, Ticketdoor, Travecta, Travel Massive, TUI Group, waltru, WeTravel, Yes-Trips and more.
DETAILS:
Kafuné, Calle de Lepant, 241
📍 Map link: maps.app.goo.gl/R5GNoyX1oN9UMT6U7
🗓️ Thursday 29 October, 2026
⏰ 18:30 - 20:30
🍷 Welcome drinks sponsored by YES-Trips
👗 Business casual
👉 Spots are limited — RSVP now to save your place at the closing event.
About YES-Trips
For YES-Trips, it’s more than trips. It’s passport stamps and a group chat that never dies. It’s bragging rights and jealous DMs when the feed lights up. It all started in 2009 when a group of exchange students in Maastricht plotted their dream travel list with a first stop of Oktoberfest. One bus and one blurry weekend later, a mission emerged: make epic travel affordable for all adventurers, and that vision continues today. Learn more at: yes-trips.com.
About FutureTravel Summit
FutureTravel is led by @ana-metz, a Barcelona-based founder with a background in startups, innovation research and travel. Ana launched FutureTravel to connect the dots between what’s being built and where the industry is heading — and hosts the annual FutureTravel Summit, bringing together the founders and executives shaping travel’s next chapter.
This networking event is free to attend for Travel Massive Barcelona members. Please note a ticket is required if you wish to join us at FutureTravel Summit - you can find more details at: futuretravel.com/summit/.
We look forward to welcoming you on 29 October!
— Benjamin, Casey and the Travel Massive team
Link to event pagePack your curiosity and join us for an evening of Irish travel, design and good company.
On Thursday, 29 October, we’ll meet at Dublin’s National Print Museum to explore Come Fly With Me - an exhibition celebrating the history of Irish aviation and tourism. Expect vintage travel posters, bold graphic design and a nostalgic look at how Ireland was presented to the world.
After our cultural flight, we’ll continue the evening at Ryan’s Beggars Bush, where we’ll enjoy a few pints and networking.
Event details
📅 Thursday, 29 October
🕖 7:00 pm - the museum is open late
📍 National Print Museum, Dublin maps.app.goo.gl/VcjMkkuT6LHnaeGL8
🖼️More information about the exhibition: www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/come-fly-with-me/
🍻 Drinks afterwards at Ryan’s Beggars Bush
💰 Public Musuem entry is free. No tickets are required. Drinks are at your own expense
This is the scheduled public late-opening evening for the Irish Print Museum (Músaem Náisiúnta Cló) "Come Fly With Me" exhibit. This is not an exclusive event for Travel Massive and there is no affiliation with the Irish Print Museum.
Link to event page👉 Important Housekeeping: The RSVP guest list will be managed via a waitlist. 👈
Who is this event for: Active travel media and creators (journalists, reporters, bloggers, creators, influencers, YouTubers, podcasters). Bonus if you write or create content about food and beverage!
📝 Your Travel Massive Profile goes a long way: Make sure you have added:
• A profile picture
• Your title and company name (ie. blog name, or "freelance" if applicable)
• Social media links and a website link (if you don’t have a website, add your MuckRack link, creator portfolio, or other relevant web page)
• In your bio, elaborate on your expertise or speciality, so that by reading it we can quickly tell which travel industry niche you fall into
⏰ Schedule of activities:
10:30 AM: Depart Toronto, private transportation to Guelph provided.
12:00 PM: Tour of John Sleeman & Sons Spring Mill Distillery
1:15 PM: Tomme Cheese Shop visit and Acqua Salon spa experience
2:15 PM: Explore Downtown Guelph
3:00 PM: Late lunch at Buon Gusto Restaurant
4:30 PM: Depart Guelph
6:00 PM: Arrive in Toronto
FAM Partners:
Buon Gusto Restaurant
buongusto.ca
IG: @buongustoguelph
Nestled in the heart of St. George's Square, Buon Gusto has been a downtown Guelph favourite for over a decade, known for heartfelt Italian hospitality. Following an extensive summer renovation, the restaurant has entered a new chapter with a redesigned dining room, expanded kitchen and refreshed bar. Guests can enjoy an expanded menu alongside the wood-fired pizza, pasta, wine and cocktails Buon Gusto is known for, with almost everything made in-house from scratch, including the pizza dough. With more room for private dining, celebrations and group events, plus expanded takeout and catering, it's the perfect spot for everything from date night to larger gatherings.
John Sleeman & Sons
johnsleemanandsons.com
IG: @johnsleemanandsons
Sitting on the banks of the Speed River in Guelph, Ontario, Spring Mill Distillery is draped in history and rooted in tradition. Rooted in Guelph and inspired by generations of craftsmanship, we create spirits that balance tradition, innovation, and a genuine sense of place. Since the Distillery’s conception over a decade ago, our mission has always been to deliver the highest quality Canadian spirits. A tour at Spring Mill Distillery blends heritage with hands-on craft. Explore the restored mill, see our copper stills up close, and learn how Canadian wood and grain shape every spirit we make.
Tomme Cheese Shop
tomme.ca
IG: @tommecheeseshop
🎟️ Event registration: there is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist still sign-up in case someone is no longer able to come we will add people from the waitlist. In the meantime, please have a look at your Travel Massive profile and take a moment to make sure it is up to date.
👉 Cancellations: If you are no longer able to attend, please try to release your ticket 48 hrs (2 days) before the event so others can attend. Thank you for understanding.
🚨As these events are limited capacity we have a 3-strike no show policy. Given the nature of this event, FAM no-shows count as 2 strikes.
📸 This event will be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner.
Land acknowledgment: We wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississauga’s of the New Credit whose territories we gather on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
Link to event pageTravel Massive, Stripe and Magpie Travel Inc. AI Workshop: Building The Agentic Travel Journey Live.
Watch and collaborate in an AI-native travel booking experience being planned, built and connected live.
What happens when you bring together travel leaders, AI practitioners and builders and give them an afternoon to actually build the future of travel?
Join Travel Massive, Stripe and Magpie Travel Inc. for a hands-on, live build session exploring what an AI-native travel booking experience could look like, from the first product idea through to discovery, hotel or experience inventory, booking and payment.
We’ll start with a blank sheet of paper and work towards a functioning hotel booking experience, showing how AI can help shape the proposition, create the product, connect inventory, make the experience discoverable and ultimately enable a secure payment.
But this is more conversation than coding demo. As the product takes shape, a panel of industry experts will unpack each stage of the build, debating the big questions along the way, from discoverability and connectivity to integrating third-party partners and payments. Expect plenty of back-and-forth, differing perspectives and room for the audience to jump in.
As part of the afternoon, you'll also hear from Alex Farmer, General Manager EMEA, of Mindtrip.
You can build alongside us with your laptop, or simply come ready to watch, question and challenge the people doing the building.
What we'll explore
✔ How an AI-generated experience can connect to real travel inventory and other data sources, and what structured information agents need to search, compare and act.
✔ What it means to become agent-ready as AI changes how travellers discover hotels and travel products, and the practical steps brands can take now.
✔ How secure payments, customer consent, authentication and fraud controls fit into an agent-led booking journey.
✔ Once building and connecting travel experiences becomes dramatically easier, where does differentiation come from? And what could this mean for OTAs, hotels and travel platforms?
A live build, not a conference
This isn't a general introduction to generative AI, a hardcore coding workshop or a series of disconnected panels.
Instead, we'll follow one challenge from company context → product → build → inventory → discovery → booking → payment, making the connections between each part visible.
Some things will work. Some things will break. Some will be experimental.
The afternoon is designed for travel leaders and practitioners who want to understand what is possible now, not simply hear about what might be possible in the future.
Who should join?
Travel and hospitality leaders, marketers, product teams, digital and ecommerce specialists, distribution professionals, technologists, founders and anyone thinking about how AI will change the way travel is discovered and booked.
You'll already be confident with AI tools and prompts, and maybe have build your first agent.
If you're building, bring a laptop. If you're leading, bring your questions.
The afternoon
13:30: Arrival and a light lunch
Meet fellow attendees, grab some lunch and get set up.
14:00: Welcome from James Lemon, Global Lead - Hospitality, Travel & High Growth Industries, Stripe and an introduction from Christian Watts, Founder of Magpie Travel Inc., revealing the end-to-end experience we're going to build.
14:15: Chapter 1: From company context to product
Define the traveller, proposition and booking journey, then use AI to turn the thinking into a structured product brief and build plan.
14:50: Chapter 2: Build & connect
Move into the build environment, create the first experience and connect it to hotel inventory and complementary travel data.
15:30: Mid-build checkpoint
15:40: Chapter 3: Make it discoverable
Test how AI understands the product and explore what hotels, OTAs and travel brands need to do to become genuinely agent-ready.
16:10: Chapter 4: Get paid safely
Take the journey from recommendation to confirmed booking, exploring payment, consent, authentication and fraud in an agent-led world.
16:35: The reveal and follow up discussion
See the completed experience and step back from the build to ask the bigger question: if AI makes creating and connecting travel products dramatically easier, how will travel businesses differentiate?
Come curious. Leave with something useful.
Whether you're responsible for a travel brand, building the next generation of travel technology or simply trying to work out what all this means for your business, you'll leave with practical workflows, a clearer understanding of the AI-native booking journey and ideas you can take back to your own organisation - And, hopefully, in Travel Massive fashion, a few new people to build the future of travel with.
Important details
📍 Address: Stripe's London HQ, 5th Floor, 201 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3UN
Map link: maps.app.goo.gl/KobbJHGLd838Nvei9
🗓️ Date: Monday 2nd November 2026
🕕 Time: 13:30 - 17:00 (registration 13:30 - 13:55).
✅ RSVP essential
Questions about this event? Please email your event host Matthew Gardiner, Director of Travel Massive London: matthew@travelmassive.com.
Please note: when you register for this event (which must be done in advance) we will also be sharing your details with Stripe and Magpie Inc to allow us to process your registration and facilitate your access to the venue. Please also expect there to be photography at the event.
👉 Want to join us for the evening too? The Travel Massive, Stripe & Travel Trends Podcast event starts at 17:30 and requires separate registration. Workshop attendance does not guarantee entry, so please register separately for the evening event: www.travelmassive.com/events/3976790834
💬 Going to WTM? Introduce yourself on our discussion thread below.
www.travelmassive.com/posts/are-you-attending-wtm-london-2026-433214822
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